a matter of
idiom
1
—used to refer to a small amount
It cooks in a matter of (a few) minutes.
The crisis was resolved in a matter of a few hours.
The ball was foul by a matter of inches.
2
—used to say that one thing results from or requires another
Learning to ride a bicycle is a matter of practice.
His success was just a matter of being in the right place at the right time.
It's only a matter of time before/until we catch him.
3
—used to explain the reason for something
She insists on honesty as a matter of principle.
All requests for free tickets are turned down as a matter of policy.
Examples of a matter of in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In a matter of seconds, Retton launched herself from relative obscurity to Olympic superstardom.
—
Dominic Faria, Ethan Ferguson, Akshat Jain, Annabelle Del Bosque, USA TODAY, 17 July 2024
All of this happens in a matter of minutes after Raymond Horgan (Bill Camp), Rusty’s original lawyer, has a heart attack and nearly dies in the middle of the courtroom –– a rather important deviation from Scott Turow’s 1987 book on which the series is based.
—Hunter Ingram, Variety, 17 July 2024
When a shark was spotted in the afternoon on Sunday, the lifeguards had everyone out of the water in a matter of minutes.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 16 July 2024
In a matter of minutes, it was cut short by gunfire.
—Derek Hawkins, Washington Post, 14 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for a matter of 
Dominic Faria, Ethan Ferguson, Akshat Jain, Annabelle Del Bosque, USA TODAY, 17 July 2024
All of this happens in a matter of minutes after Raymond Horgan (Bill Camp), Rusty’s original lawyer, has a heart attack and nearly dies in the middle of the courtroom –– a rather important deviation from Scott Turow’s 1987 book on which the series is based.
—Hunter Ingram, Variety, 17 July 2024
When a shark was spotted in the afternoon on Sunday, the lifeguards had everyone out of the water in a matter of minutes.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 16 July 2024
In a matter of minutes, it was cut short by gunfire.
—Derek Hawkins, Washington Post, 14 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for a matter of
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'a matter of.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“A matter of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/a%20matter%20of. Accessed 27 Jul. 2024.
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